


Star Trek Taught Me Never Give In To A Kobayashi Maru

by MerelyJamieMerelyWriting



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, Gratuitous Plothole Abuse, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 15:37:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18663310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerelyJamieMerelyWriting/pseuds/MerelyJamieMerelyWriting
Summary: No summary for now because ENDGAME SPOILERS, duh.[SHIP WARNING]Anything I write to continue from this will absolutely be Starker, however this particular piece can be read as completely platonic as nothing romantic happens in this particular installment.  Please, allow me to soothe your post-Endgame feels! <3





	Star Trek Taught Me Never Give In To A Kobayashi Maru

**Author's Note:**

> Peter fixes things, time travel. Follows the rules presented in the movie, enjoy :)

          Tony had tucked Morgan back into bed and made his way back down to his work table. He eyed the design, amazement etched across his features as he triple and quadruple checked his work in disbelief. After a small eternity he straightened up and walked over to the shelf, picking up the framed photo carefully with a watery laugh.

          "Hang in there kid, I'm coming for you."

          There was a flash of light behind him and a soft thud had him spinning around frantically, shock and fear coursing through his veins when his eyes landed on the slim unsteady figure in a strange white suit standing just next to the table.

          "What the- Who ar-" Tony choked when he finally made eye contact with the stranger and everything seemed shift into slow motion. Tony's wide eyes flicked down to the picture in his hand in shock before he looked back into those familiar eyes and the frame fell from his grasp to shatter loudly on the floor.

          "Hey Mr. Stark," Peter said softly, eyes shining in the dim light as he attempted a wobbly half grin.

          "Is it really-" Tony's voice was weak with wonder, breaking off completely when his throat tightened at the way Peter's emphatic nod was spilling tears down the kids cheeks. Peter took a step forward and stumbled, catching himself on the table when his legs were shaking too much to support him.

          Tony closed the distance in two strides, yanking Peter to him and crushing him into his chest. Tony shook his head sharply as his sight blurred and he demanded hoarsely, " _How?"_

          "How?" Peter repeated with a small wet laugh, leaning back as much as Tony's tight grip allowed so he could give him his best 'duh' face. Peter cocked his head to the side as he glanced pointedly at the glowing design beside them. "I think you know."

          Tony's eyes widened as he looked down at the design and his eyes shot back to Peter, noting the extra inch or two in height now that they were closer and realizing all at once that Peter hadn't spontaneously undusted himself somehow- he'd come back from a later point in the timeline.

          "You- You're older. You came back? But-" Tony paused with a frown when Peter's body went slightly stiff and pulled back, hands lingering on Peter's shoulders when he found himself unable to relinquish the reassuring solidity of Peter under his palms. "Why? If you're _back_ in the future then doesn't that mean- Didn't we win? Why are you here?"

          "Yeah, we uh- We won, thanks to you. You saved us all Mr. Stark," Peter forced out unevenly, breath hitching in his chest as his bottom lip trembled slightly.

          "Oh I did, huh?" Tony muttered, rolling his eyes a little as he tried to shrug off the foreboding shiver that was creeping down his limbs at the way Peter was avoiding his gaze. "Well clearly that's not entirely true or you wouldn't-"

          "You died," Peter hissed and Tony flinched, tempted by the sheer ferocity of the ripple of terror the words caused to reject the notion but, before he could get a word out, Peter dragged in a stubborn breath and looked up fiercely. "We won Mr. Stark, we won and you saved us all but then- I'm sorry Tony but you _died_ -"

          "Pete- Kid, I- The wizard said there was only one way, one single way that we could defeat Thanos and win," Tony forced himself to say despite Peter already beginning to shake his head. "Don't shake your- Peter, if my death is that one way that happens then I can't- You know we can't risk-"

          "That's not how it works-" Peter cut him off, frowning at him impatiently. "You remember the lady Thanos killed that Starlord was in love with?"

          Tony thought for a moment before venturing, "Gamora?"

          "Yeah, Gamora! Well, in the final battle Thanos' ship comes to our time from the past and the Gamora from that timeline _stayed_ in our time Tony- And you remember Nebula? She actually full on murdered the past her _during_ the battle and she's still just fine, zero consequences!"

          "I can't just run off to the future with you kid, I've got responsibilities- A family, Pete," Tony paced away from Peter as he protested, panic lacing his tone as he realized Peter's logic was sound. " I have a _daughter_ -"

          "I know, she's ten now and she's already just as smart as I am and she fucking _misses_ you Tony- She needs you-" Peter snapped, desperation leeching into his voice as he trailed behind Tony. "Pepper wouldn't give me access to anything related to the time machine, she knew I'd use it. I'd been trying to make my own for years with zero success when out of nowhere your daughter turned up at my apartment with a thumb drive full of your old engineering logs and blueprints- Oh and Pepper's credit card. She begged for my help, I couldn't-"

          Tony shook his head, room spinning and heart racing as he leaned against the table for support. "You- Fuck, you shouldn't have come here kid- This is- I _can't_ -"

          "She _needs_ you," Peter ground out, looking away as he added softly, " _I_ need you-"

          "The risk isn't-"

          "Shut up, I read your logs- 'I couldn't fathom risking everything I have now for anything until I looked up and saw the picture of him. If there's any chance of success then risk isn't a factor, I have to try.' You did this for me," Peter's voice broke and he finished in a whimper. "You're dead because of _me_."

          "Because of you? That's fucking crazy- You don't really think-"

          "How could I not?" Peter implored, tears spilling over again helplessly to Tony's utter discomfort.

          "I'm doing this for _everyone_ -" Tony tried weakly, knowing before Peter cut him off that he wasn't going to accept that as an answer.

          "Yeah except 'everyone' wasn't enough until you remembered that 'everyone' included _me_."  Peter's tone went sharp with frustration as his eyes burned defiantly into Tony's as though daring him to argue again.

          Tony bit his lip and fell silent, finally at a loss for words.

          "You needed to save me, you gave up everything to do it," Peter breathed, holding out the spare wristband and suit he'd brought along. "Please let me save you? There only seems like there's a risk if you're confused by the nuances of the science and I promise I know what I'm doing."

          Tony stared at the bundle in Peter's hands, looking distraught as he glanced up toward Morgan's room. "She's only four, how can I just-"

          "Tony, I lost my parents when I was five- I asked Santa every year to bring them back, but Morgan? Morgan found your data and figured out for _herself_ how to get you back. Do you want to miss a few birthdays and watch your daughter grow up or do you want to die before her next birthday?"

          Tony swallowed hard and his fingers closed on the bundle. "How long have I been gone?"

          "Five and a half years, if you have any cash around I'd bring it- I don't know what you'll have access to, if anything," Peter said grimly, eyes moving hungrily over Tony's face like he was trying to commit it to memory. "I argued with Pepper for years trying to gain access to your files but she always shut me down, said the best thing we could do for you would be to just let you rest peacefully. She said we couldn't know what would happen and you wouldn't want to risk it, but I _did_ know so I promised Morgan I'd keep trying until I brought you home."

          Tony stepped into the jumpsuit after tucking the couple thousand from the emergency cash stash in his back pocket. "Where are we coming out? Did you build it in the lab at the compound?"

          "We're in my apartment actually, Morgan is staying with me while Pepper's on her uh- vacation," Peter stammered with a cringe as he snapped the Pymm particles into place.

          Tony froze, heart dropping as the lightbulb went on: Five and a half years, the disdain in Peter's voice when he said Pepper's name, Pepper wanting him to rest peacefully which he had a feeling was Potts for she had already decided to move on, and now the dreaded pause before 'vacation'.

          "Funny, she always told me she hated to travel alone," Tony tested, raising a skeptical eyebrow at Peter as he waited for his response.

          "Oh she, uh, she's- Happy's with her," Peter blurted out as he fussed with some dials on the wristbands and Tony almost relaxed before he finished hesitantly, "I'm sorry Mr. Stark but- It's their honeymoon."

          Tony's heart stopped, his body went numb, and his entire body felt like pins and needles. He could only imagine what his face was doing as he watched Peter's expression twist with agonized empathy. "Oh, Tony, I'm- Fuck, I tried to come back sooner I- I'm so sorry, I wish- I know how much pain you're in sir, but-"

          "I know," Tony gasped, trying to stop the world's violent spinning and failing. "Morgan still- She still needs me so it doesn't-"

          Peter watched Tony try to slip the gadget on a few times before reaching out gently to steady Tony's shaky hands with his own, slipping it over his fingers with a soft smile.

          "She said to tell you," Peter murmured, fingers squeezing reassuringly before he finished warmly, "She loves you three thousand."

          The words wrenched an anguished bitten back sob out of Tony and Peter lurched forward, arms snaking around Tony tightly. "Hey, I've got you Mr. Stark- Are you- If you're ready, we can- I mean whenever you're ready, we just have to push the button on the back, okay? Take as long as you need."

          Tony tucked his chin over Peter's shoulder and squeezed back as he struggled to get his breathing under control. "Okay," he whispered, screwing his eyes shut and taking one last deep breath. "Ready, count of three on one?"

          "Three," Peter breathed, heart thundering in his ears as his excitement rose.

          "Two," Tony mumbled into Peter's shoulder, grip on Peter tightening in anticipation.

          "One," they said together, pressing the buttons in unison and shooting off into 2028.

**Author's Note:**

> I will probably use this fic as a jumping off point for any of the fics I write post-snap! This is my head cannon for how Tony comes back, because obviously we aren't leaving him dead hahaha. As always, let me know what you think and thank you for reading! As far as I'm concerned that's how easy they realized it was to get Natasha back and Bucky went back after Old Steve's funeral and brought both him _and_ Peggy back because fuuuuuuuuuuck that. Like Steve would _actually_ go back and marry a fucking founder of Shield and not let her know that her life work is compromised by Hydra and also is torturing his best friend. First of all, that's a super problematic foundation for a relationship and from everything we've been led to believe about Bucky and Steve's friendship[platonic or otherwise] there's no way he could realistically make the choice over and over again day after day to do nothing to save him or warn Peggy about Hydra.
> 
> Anyways, sorry, ranted a bit, my two cents. Loved every blasted second of the damn thing though, would have sat through another two hours easily.


End file.
